IEA holds first Emergency Response Exercise in China

More than 70 participants this week gathered in the Chinese port city of Ningbo to engage in simulated oil supply disruptions as part of an Emergency Response Exercise (ERE) – the International Energy Agency’s version of a fire drill.

The IEA and its members regularly conduct such preparedness exercises at its headquarters in Paris. But this week’s event marked the first time the IEA has run an ERE in China, the world’s largest oil importer.

Energy security has been at the heart of the mission of the IEA since its inception in 1974. The ability to respond collectively in the case of a serious oil supply disruption with short term emergency response measures remains one of the core priorities of the agency and its 29 members.

IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven commented: “In an oil supply disruption, the effectiveness of any response hinges on the level of preparedness by all concerned. That is why exercises like this are so crucial: they enhance the ability to respond while also imparting valuable knowledge to all participants”.

The two day exercise drew participants from 13 countries, including representatives of Chinese government and industry. During the event, the IEA stressed the importance of transparency, advance planning, and the need for international cooperation and coordination in oil supply emergencies.

The exercise began with a training session in which participants were briefed on IEA emergency response procedures during a supply crisis. Following the training session, participants worked together to develop strategies to respond to a pair of hypothetical supply disruption scenarios.